Apparatus for finishing and testing tubular products



Sept: 27, 1932 B.' F. ANTHONY 1,879,009

APPARATUS FOR FINISHING AND TESTING TUBULAR` PRODUCTS Filed May 7, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l @y .HTTOWNEY' .mm h. Nm. mm

WITNESS Sept. 27, 1932. B. F. ANTHONY APPARATUS FOR FINISHING AND TESTING TUBULAR PRODUCTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 7, 195o vv/ TNES S ,HTTOFNL'YS Patented Sept'. 2.7, T932 UNITED STATES BENJAMIN'. 1E".` ANTEONYQOF YOUNGSTOWN, OHIO r.AlPPABAJIUS' FORfFINISHI-NG' AND TESTING TUBULAIR. PRODUCTS Application letlk May 7, 1930. Serial- No. 450,581.

- My invention relates to the manufacture of tubular products such as pi-pes, seamlesstubes and the like, and more particularly to straightening and finishing such products after they have been yformed to substantially the required size and shape.

The methods of straightening andflnisliing tubular products heretofore employed are open to certain objections, particularly when maximum speed of production and fine surface finish are required. Thus, for example, in the production of seamless tubing, it has heretofore been the cust-om to deliver thesized and cross rolled hot piece to cooling rack before running it through the Cold straightening rolls. Just prior to its passage through -the latter, the tube has a fine and highly desirable finish on its outside surface, but in its subsequent passage through the cold straightening rolls, which are usually of the typical cross roll type, the surface of the tube is scratched and marred to a varied extent and sometimes sufiiciently vto cause its rejection. Vhile this abrading` and scratch-` ing of the smoothsurface occurs to a greater or less degree under the normal action of the cross rolls, it is frequently aggravated by the practice of tossing sand between the tube and the rolls if the former happens to stick in its passage therethrough. Additionally, this cross roll method of straightening is disadvantageous in that difficulties frequently arise in its performance when 'the tubes are improperly sized, While satisfactory straightening of hooked ends is practically impossible. Nor, with a view to eliminating the Well known disadvantages of the cross roll straightening method, to some of which I have briefly referred, can resort under conditions dictating high speed production, be had to the gag press for performing the straightening operation since the slownessy of that method and the personal equation or element necessarily incident to its use render it unsuitable for production of. that character.-

. A principal object of my invention, there fore, is to provide novel apparatus for straightening and finishing tubular products such as pipes, seamlesstubes and the like which is not open to the objections inherent in the use of cross roll straighteners and/or gag presses; and to provide apparatus adapted for that purpose which can be employed- Without damage to the surface finish of the articles being treated, which is effective during the treatment to size the tubular articles, to disclose defects therein, to bring all of the said articles to the same exterior diameter and also to loosen any scale which may adhere to the articles at the initiation of various operations incident to their treatment.

Further objects of the invention arel to provide apparatus of the character" aforesaid which is suitable for use in the high speed production of pipes, tubes and like articles on a large scale and which, as an incidental effect, tends to increase the yield point and ultimate tensile properties of the articles which-Ina be subJected to its action.

A still urther object of my invention is .to provide apparatus for the utilization of fiuid pressure in the straightening of tubular articles with a maximum of'speed and convenience.

Additional objects, advantages and novel' features of design, construction and arrange. ment of the apparatus of the present invention are hereafter more particularly pointed out or will be apparent to those familiar with the art from the following description of certain forms of said apparatus as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Speaking generally, my invention contemplates confining the tubulararticle which is to be straightened within a relatively heavy cylindrical casing Whose inside diameter corresponds to the desired external diameter of the finished article and then exerting fluid pressure interiorly of the article sufficient to strain the latter beyond its elastic limit and thereby expand it against and bring it into coincidence with the interior -of the casing whereby, when the pressure is relieved and the article removed from the casing, the desired straightening will have been brought about without detriment to the surface finish of the article and other beneficial or desirable effects attained as hereinafter more particularly pointed out.

My invention is therefore embodied in certain forms of apparatus now to be described, one of said forms beingillustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings and the other of said forms in Figs. -1 to '7 thereof.

In the said drawings Fig. 1 is a top plan View of thefirst form of apparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 in Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 4 is a top plan view, generally corresponding to Fig. 1, of the second form of the apparatus;

Fig. 5 a side view thereof, and Figs. 6 and 7 transverse sectional views substantially on lines 6 6. and 7 -7 respectively in Fig; 4 and Ashowing certain of the parts asin ditl'erent positions as hereinafter more fully explained. Like symbols of references are used to designate the same parts in the several figures. l

Referringl now more particularly to that form of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 3,

the same compri-ses a pair of relatively heavy hollow cylindrical casings 1, 1 disposed parallel t0 each other and supported at suitable intervals on V-blocks 2,'transversely extending longitudinally spaced clamps 3 being rovided for holding them in place on the iilocks. These V-blocks are either secured to or formedfintegral with a sliding bed 5 which is supported on longitudinally spaced guides 6 for movement transversely of the apparatus, adjustable stop screws 7, 7 extended through turned-up lugs at the ends of the guides serving to adj ustably limit the extent of movement in either direction.

For effecting the requisite movement of the bed on the guides 6, which latter are supported on the floor of the building or other suitable surface, any convenient means may be provided, those shown comprising a pair of'longitudinall 'spaced links 8 connected at their forwar ends to lugs 5 carried by the bed and at their opposite ends to cranks 9 disposed on the ends of a rock shaft 10 rotatably journaled in suitable pedestals 11. This rock shaft also carries a crank 12, preferably disposed substantially midway of its ends, to the free end of. which is connected a horizontally disposed bar 13 extending through and adapted for reciprocation in a guide 14 and at its opposite end connected with a. piston rod 15 extending into a. cylin der 16 and there connected to a piston, the cylinder and guide being preferablyv supported on a.y bed plate 17. Thus, by the admission of a suitable fluid, as and when re-l quired, to one end or the other of the cylinder, the rock shaft 1() may be oscillated so as to slide the bed 5 transversely on the guides 6 through the medium of the links 8 and cranks 9.

For bringing to the machine from any convenient source of supply the tubular articles which are to be straightened and which for convenience I shall refer to as tubes, a conveyor, generally designated as 20, may be arranged adjacent one end of the machine, while a generally similar conveyor 21 may be arranged adjacent its opposite end for conveying the tubes away from the machine after they have been acted upon; these conveyors may be of any preferred construction and thus will ordinarily, and as shown, comprise a plurality of spaced rollers disposed between rails in such manner that a tube T can be readily slid longitudinally upon them. Desirably the conveyors are disposed in alignment with the center line of the machine, that is, a line substantially equidistant from the ends of the guides 6 so that either of the containers 1 or lvmay be brought, by suitable manipulation Of the bed, into alignment with the conveyors to receive a tube therefrom or discharge one thereonto, the conveyors of course being disposed at such height that the axes of the tube when lying thereon will coincide with that of the container when aligned therewith.

ny convenient means (not shown) are provided for moving a. tube from the conveyor 20 into whichever of the containers may be aligned therewith; for example and as shown, the container 1; for effecting this movement, pinch rolls,\.` magnetic rolls, a pushbar or any other suitable apparatus may be employed, the same forming no part of the present invention.

It will thus be apparent that by suitable operation of the mechanism heretofore described, either of the containers 1 or 1 may be aligned with the conveyors 20 and 2l, and that when so aligned a-tube T may be pushed from the former thereinto, the advancing tube being operative to push before it and thus eject from that container onto the conveyor 21 the preceding tube, if any, which may be disposed therein. It will further be noted that when either ofthe containers is aligned with the conveyors, the other container will lie on one side or the other of the latter, and means now to be described are provided for sealing the ends of the tube disposed in which ever container may be thus laterally out of alignment with the conveyors and thereafter subjecting it to hydraulic pressure so as to expand the tube against its encircling container.

To this end a cross head 30 is provided adjacent that end of the machine at which the tubes are introduced, and a substantially sirnilar cross head 31 at the opposite end of the machine. These cross heads are respectively disposed adjacent but spaced from the ends of the containers and may desirably be downwardly dished or formed U-shaped at their centers so as to be out of alignment with the bore of the centrally positioned container and thus not interfere with the introduction to or discharge of the tube therefrom. The cross heads are bored and internally threaded at their respective ends for the passage of correspondingly threaded horizontal supporting rods 32 which extend parallel with the containers on opposite sides of the machine andr serve to support the cross heads, the rods in turn being rotatably supported in upright pedestals 33 spaced at suitable intervals longitudinally of the machine. Desirably only those portions of the rods lying adjacent the cross heads are threaded, and in order to effeet simultaneous movement of the cross heads to or from the containers the threads on the ends of each rod are of opposite pitch whereby when both rods are rotated in the same direction the cross heads will be moved outwardly or inwardly in opposite directions. Any suitable means may be employed for rotating the rods as, for example, a bevel gear on an end of cach rod cooperating with another bevel gear on a cross shaft 35 disposed adjacent that end of the machine at which the tube is introduced, the gears being desirably housed in boxes. 36, and the cross shaft being driven by a motor M or other convenient source of power through suitable gearing housed in a gear box 37. Thus, by operating the motor in one direction or the other, the rods 32 can be simultaneously rotated in the same direction.

The cross head 30 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced plugs 40, 40 each of a form and size to enter and seal the end of a tube T when disposed in one of the contain ers, the distance between the plugs being such that the plug 40 will align with the container 1 when the container 1 is aligned with the tube conveyor and the plug 40 will correspondingly align with the container 1 when the container 1 is'aligned with the conveyor. Thus, when either container is in position to receive or discharge a tube, one of the plugs is also in position to close the end of the tube in the other container when the cross head 30 is moved inwardly sufficiently to engage the plug therewith. In like manner. the cross head 31 is provided with plugs 41, 41', and suitable means are provided for admitting iiuid through these plugs to the tubes in the containers. VVhile said means may be of any convenient character, those shown comprise pipes 4i, 4:2 respectively extending from the plugs into boxes 43, 43 through suitable packing glands whereby the pipes may slide in and out in their respective boxes when the `cross head 31 is moved. To the other end of the suitable packing or otherwise arranged so as to form fluid and pressure tight joints with the ends of the tube in which they may be insert-ed.,

The manner of using an apparatus of the ,v

general character of that just described for finishing and testing tubular products in accordance with the invention will now be briefly described :Assuming that the parts of the apparatus are in substantially the positions shown in the drawing with the container 1' thus aligned with the conveyor 20 and the cross heads 30, 31 retracted so thatl their respective plugs are clear of the ends yof the containers, a tube is moved along the conveyor and pushed into the container 1. luntil it is completely enclosed therein. Fluid may then be admitted to the cylinder 16 so as to move the containers toward the opposite side of the machine, thus bringing the container 1 into alignment with the conveyors and the container 1 into alignment with the plugs 40', 41. VThe motor M is then started in a proper direction to move the cross heads inwardly toward the containers so as to enter the said plugs inthe ends of the tube in the container 1 and firmly seat them therein, thus closing both ends of that tube substantially simultaneously. Valve 46 or other fluid Vcontrolling means is then operated to admit fluid to the said tube through the plug 41 and expand the tube against and bring it into coincidence with the interior of the container, the pressure exerted within the tube being suiiicient to strain the walls of the latter beyond their elastic limit and thus cause the tube to permanently conform to the configuration of the chamber in the container, whereby When the tube is subsequently removed from the container it will retain that shape both as to cross-sectional form and longitudinal o r axial alignment. While these operations are being carried on, a succeeding tube is pushed into the other container 1 which is now aligned with the conveyor, and as soon as the expansion of the tube in container 1' is completed, the cross heads are backed off so as to clear the plugs from the ends of that tube and container and the sliding bed actuatedfrom cylinder 16 to return the contain ers to the position shown in Fig. l, thus bringing the container 1 into alignment with the conveyor and the container 1 into alignment with' the plugs 40, 41. The cross heads are new moved inwardly so as to enter the said plugs in the tube and its container l1 and Huid then admitted vthereto through operation of the valve 46. At or about the same time, the exp'anded tube isv pushed outl of contain'er' 1 onto the conveyor2l by means of anothertube from the conveyor 2O` as this latter tube is moved forward into that container',- thu's placel 5 ing it in condition to be expanded after the expansion ofthe tube in container l is fin-l ished. It -will thus be apparent that during the normal operationlof the machine a tube is always in course' of expansion in one con# tainer while the other is having a tube re moved therefrom and another inserted, whereby a much higher rate of production can be maintained than ijfbut asingle conf tainerwas employed andthe tubes inserted therein consecutively instead of alternatel as when two containers are utilized, although the use of but a single container is entirely permissible and may in soine cases be found desirable.. A Y

In fact,.in the form of the apparatus no w to be describedand which is illustrated 1n Figs. 4 to 7` inclusive, but ka single container is employed, but due to the particular coni struction of the apparatus a relatively higher 5 rate of production may be maintained therewith than when but a single container of the construction of those shown in Figs. 1 to 8 is utilized.

Thus, referring now more particularly to 0 the said figures, the apparatus therein shown comprises a single container which, however, is split substantially on its horizontal diameter to provide an upperhalf and a lower half 50 suitablyhmged together as at-51. The lower halt of the container is supported on a suitable base or pedestal 52 while to the upper half is attached a rearwardly entending lever arm 53 connected by a cable 54 traveling over a suitably positioned sheave 55 with the piston rod 56 of a cylinder 57 which may thus be operated, through the ad# mission of suitable Huid, to raise the upper half of the container as shown in Fig. 6, or to lower it on the lower half, thus closing the container, as shown in Fig. 7

YIt will be understood that in this form of the apparatus the tube which is to be treated is preferably positioned in and removed from the container when the upper half of the lat 50 ter is raised, as shown in Fig; 6, by moving the tube transversely, and suitable means are therefore provided vfor introducing and ej ecting the tube. For the former purpose, a con-- veyor, generally designated as,5 8 and con-` veniently comprising spaced rollers v159 car. l

ried on rails60 is disposed adjacent the container onthe opposite side thereof. from the"y lever 53 so that the tubes may be consecutively moved along the conveyor until they are transversely aligned with the container into which they are then adapted to'be moved by a series of longitudinally spaced kick-olf arms 61 which are carried on a shaft 62 extending alongside the container and adapted for oscil- 65 lation through the medium of a crank 63 conreventa after it has zbeen treated therein, two or morev angular-ly disposed skids 6-5 are provided and arranged for reciprocation across the lower hfalfof the containerwthr'ough the medium of liuidactuated cylinders 66', theskids being slidable in supporting' guides 67 located be- Y tween the cylinders andthe container.- The skids are arranged tol slope away from' the container and when in projected position to extend substantially across the lower half thereof as shown in F ig. 6; when in retracted position as shown inY Fig. 7, they are entirely clear of the container and terminate adjacent the conveyor. Thel purpose of the skids will hereinafter more fully appear.

Means are also provided for closing the ends of the tubes when disposed in the container, said means at one end dcsirably comprising a plug 70, substantially similar to the plugs 40, 40', which is mounted on a plunger 71 slidable in a guide 72, vany convenient mechanism such as Ia rack on the plunger and pinion mounted on the guide and controlled by a hand wheel 73 being pref erably provided for forcing the plug into the end of the tube when positioned in the container. fln a generally similar manner another plug 74 is arranged adjacent the opposite end of the container and means provided for admittin fluid through this plug to the tube. rlhus, t e plug may be mounted on a plunger slidable n a pedestal 7 5 through the medium of a rack 76 and pinion 77 controlled by a hand wheel 78, the rear end of the plunger which is hollow entering a chamber within the pedestal to which fluid may be admitted through a pipe 79 leading to any suitable source of supply and controlled by a valve 8O or in any other convenient way, the arrangement being such that after the tube is positioned in the container the plugs may bemoved forwardly by means of the hand wheelsk so as to enter and close the ends of the tube, after which fluid may be admitted to the container through the plug 74 and its plunger by manipulation of thevalve 80.

In the operation of this form of apparatus the tubes are -consecutively run down the conveyor until the leading tube is positioned in alignment with the container, the upper half of which is now raised. Through the operation of the kick-off arms the tube is then thrown overjnto 'the container, the skids being retractedgaiildgthe-upper half ofthe container lowered over' the tube. The plugs and 74 are then brought up and snugly seated in the ends of the tube by means of and roll' theY tube into the a their operating mechanisms and Huid under the requisite pressure admitted to 4the tube to expand it against the walls of the container in the manner heretofore described. In order to determine the proper extent of expansion the upper half of the container may be either locked tothe lower half preparatory to the admission of the Huid by any suitable locking means (not shown), or the halves of the container left unlocked and a suitable indicating instrument arranged between them so as to show the extent to which the upper half of the container is lifted relative to the lower half as the tube expands, whereby when the required degree of expansion has been reached the fluid pressure can be immediately shut off. The plugs 7 0 and 74 areI now retracted and. a U-clamp (not shown) slipped over each end of the tube and ad] acent end of the container so as to suspend the tube from thelatter, after which the upper half- Tof the container carrying with it the expanded tube'is raised by admitting fluid to cylinder 57, thus lifting the tube out of the lower half' of the container to permit the skids 65 to be projected over the latter and beneath the tube as shown in Fig. 6. The U-clamps 1.- `are then knocked off and the tube allowed to roll down the skids until it comes into contact with suitably positioned stops 81 which bringvit to rest upon the conveyor, along which it is then pushed by the succeeding tube as the latter is brought into position for transfer to the container. The skids are now retracted to permit the succeeding tube tobe transferred to the container by means of the .kick-off arms, while the expanded tube passes to a storage rack, annealing furnace or some other point in the plant.

It will of course be appreciated that to effect the requisite expansion of the tube extremely high Huid pressures are required, and the various parts of the apparatus required to stand these pressures must thereforel be of suchdesign and construction as are necessarily incident to the duties imposed on them.

No attempt has therefore been made in the drawings to illustrate the specific details of construction of either form of apparatus. but merely to show the apparatus in a substantiallv `ldiagrammatic manner vet with sufficient detail to readily enable those skilledin the art to construct the same in a manner suitably adapted to satisfactorily meet the reduire-v ments inherent in any particular installation or st of operating conditions to be encountere..

While of course any suitable fluid may be.

utilized for effecting the expanding operation, water will ordinarily be preferred, and in that form of the apparatus first described as well as in the second form of the vapparatus when the two parts of the container are locked together, the hydrostatic pressure or -head may exceed the amount necessary t0 therefor.

cause the tube to contornato the container provided 1t is 'not so excessive as to rupture the container or other parts; however, when a twopart container is employed and the parts thereof notlocked together either the maximum hydrostatic head must be adjusted to effect the exact extent of tubeexpansion desired or else the pressure must bepromptly shut off as soonas the requisite expansion is obtained as v'ascertained from the indicating linstrument'employed for that purpose.

I am thus enabled with the aid of apparatus of my invention to straighten tubes, pipes and .likearticles without detriment to the surface vfnishthereof such as occurs when the ordinary methods utilized for straightening are employed; additionally, the tubular articles after being straightened asl described are all of the same diameter and, as they have been subjected to an internal pressure greatly in excess of the ordinary service pressures f with which they are designed for ultimate use, no further hydraulic test is ordinarily necessary to determine their Vsuitability Moreover, the stretching of the articles during thestraightening operation serves tomagnify any surface defects which may exist, thus facilitating the usualsurfa'ce inspection after straightening, as well as permitting such defects as it may reveal t0 be thereafter chipped or ground outy with the knowledge that they are notsufliciently serious to cause a rupture under service `conditions. The cold working ofthemetal during the straightening process alsotends t0 properties of the article, while adhering scale is loosened, particularly fromthejinf and arrangement ofthe various partsof the said apparatus may be modified and lvariedin numerous particulars ,from the `precise embodimentsv to which I have chosento refer,

without departing fromv the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims as hereto appended. i.

Having thus described myy invention, Iv claim and desire to protect byLetters Patent of the United States:

1. Apparatus ofthe class described corn-` .prising a container having a hollow, substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, means for Supporting the container substan-v 10G increase the yield point and ultimate tensile tially horizontally, meansoperable to intro- .ried by the cross heads operative to seal the adjacent ends of a tubular article when disposed in either of the containers, means for moving the crossheads simultaneously toward or away from the containers to bring said sealing means 1nto engagement with the article, and means for introducing fluid under pressure ,to an article in either container after its ends are sealed by the operation of said sealing means. o

- 3. In apparatusof the class described, the ycombination of a pair of containers extending parallel to each other and each having a substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, means for-supporting the containers, a conveyor adapted to transport tubular articles toward one end of said containers, means for moving the containers unitarily so as to bring either container into alignment with said conveying means and into position to receive a tubular article therefrom, a pair of cross heads respectively disposed adjacent the ends "of kthe containers, means for moving the cros's'heads simultaneously toward or away from the containers, means carried by the crossheads for sealing the ends of a tubular article disposedin either container when such container is out of alignment with said conveying means, and means for introducing Viiuid under pressure to the interior of such article after its ends' are sealed.

4. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination of a pair of containers extending parallel to each other and each having a substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, meansifor supporting the containers, a conveyor adapted to transport tubular articles toward one .end of said containers, means for ymoving the containers unitarily through a limited path normal to their axes so as to bringither container into alignment with said conveying means and into position to receive' a tubular article therefrom, a pair of cross heads respectively disposed adjacent the ends of the containers, means for moving the cross heads simultaneously toward' or away from the containers, means carried by the cross heads for sealing the ends of a tu bular article disposed in either container when suchcontainer is out of alignment with said conveying means, and means for intro- 'conveying meansv to thereby position ksuch container to receive a tubular article therefrom, a pair of cross headsrespectively disposed adiacent the ends of the containers, a

pair of laterally spaced plugs carried by each cross head and'respectively arranged to align with whichever container isout of alignment with the conveying means when the other container is aligned therewith and adapted to close the adjacent ends of a tubular article disposed in the first mentioned container, means for moving the cross heads simultaneously to or away from the containers so as to enter or withdraw the plugs from said first mentioned container, and means for introducing iuid under pressure to the article after its ends have been closed by said plugs.

l6. In apparatus of the class described, the

combination of a container having a lower section and a relatively movable upper sec- `tion and providing when said sections are closed on each other a hollow substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, means for supporting said lower section, means for raisin@ and lowering said upper section, means ad]acent the container for introducing a tubular hollow article thereinto when the upper section is raised, means for closing the ends of said article after it is introduced into the container and the upper section thereof lowered, and means for 'introducing iiuid under pressure into the interior of the article.

7 In apparatus oi the class described, the combination of a container having a lower section and a relatively movable upper section hinged thereto and providing when said sections are closed on each other a hollow substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, meansV for supporting said lower section, means for raising and lowering said upper section, means adjacent the container for introducing a tubular hollow article thereinto when the upper section is raised, means movable axially of the'container for closing the ends of said article after it is introduced into the container and the upper section thereof lowered, and means for introducing through one of the closing means fluid under 'pressure into the interior of the article.

closed on each -other a hollow substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, means for supporting said lower section, means for raising and lowering said upper section, means adjacent the container for introducinpf a tubular hollow article thereinto when the upper section is raised, means for closing the ends of said article after it is introduced into the container and the upper section thereof lowered, means for introducing fluid under pressure into the interior of the article, and means for assisting` in the removal of the article from the container after it has been subjected to said fluid pressure.

9. In apparatus of the class described, a container provided with a hollowsubstantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, said container comprising upper and lower sections hinged together, means for supporting the lower section, means for raising and lowering the upper section relatively to the lower section, means for discharging a tubular article into the lower section of the container when the upper section thereof is raised, means tor sealing the ends of the article after it has been positioned in the container and the upper section lowered,

means for introducing iiuid under pressure to the interi or or" the article after its ends are sealed. and means for assisting in the discharge of the article from the container after it has been subjected to said iiuid pressure comprising a pair of inclined skids adapted to be projected across the lower part of the container when the upper section thereof is lifted relatively thereto.

10. In apparatus of the class described, a container providing a hollow substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, said container comprising upper and lower sections hinged together, means for support-ing the lower section of the container, means for lifting the upper section of the container relative to the lower section, conveying means extending adjacent and parallel to the lower section of the container, means for Y transferringl a tubular article from the con veyor to the lower section of the container when the upper section thereo1 is raised, means for sealing the ends of the article after said transfer and after the upper section has been lowered onto the lower section, means for admitting fluid 'under pressure to the in terior of the article, and means tor assisting the return of the article to the conveyor after.

subjection to said liuid pressure and when the upper part of the container is raised.

1l. In apparatus of the class described, a container providing a hollow substantially cylindrical chamber in its interior, said container comprising upper and lower sections hinged together, means for supporting the lower section of the container, means for lifting the upper section of the container relative to the lower section, conveying means extending adjacent and parallel tothe lower l.

section ot the container, means comprising longitudinally spaced kick-oli arms for transferring a tubular article from the conveyor to the lower section of the container when the upper section thereof is raised, means for sealing the ends of the article after said transfer and after the upper section has been lowered onto the lower section, means for admitting fluid under pressure to the interior ot the article, and means for assisting the upper part of the container is raised compris- 

